The summer camping season approaches, gang. Whether you are the car-camping, RV, paddling or hiking type, you’re no doubt looking ahead and thinking about getting ready. Vacuuming out the camper, sorting out the pots and pans, airing the dry bags and the sleeping bags. Patching the Therm-a-Rest, again (argh!).
How’s your menu planning going? Perhaps, like a couple of our hiking pals, you are already prepping and drying meals for that 17-day hike in the Selwyn Mountains. Or experimenting with breads you can bake in camp.
I’ve got one for you. Cornbread is one of the easier campfire breads, second only to pita for ease and simplicity. You don’t need a Dutch oven, or a lid with coals placed on top, just a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan and a piece of tinfoil.
Cornbread makes a great breakfast with butter and birch syrup, it’s wonderful with chili or eggs and an excellent accompaniment for fresh-caught, pan-fried grayling or trout.Here’s a tip: Practise making it at home on the stovetop to get up to speed.
Campfire (or Stovetop) Corn Bread
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup yogurt or buttermilk substitute 1/4 cup buttermilk powder and 1 cup water
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 packed cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- For campfire cornbread:
- At home, mix cornmeal, buttermilk powder (if using), flour, baking powder, salt and paprika in a 4-cup resealable bag and label it “Cornbread dry ingredients.”
- Pack butter, eggs, yogurt or buttermilk (if using) and grated Parmesan in a cooler—either portioned out or as part of your general stores. Pack maple syrup in a camp bottle with a good seal.
- In camp, melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan over a medium flame. Place the grill at least 4 inches above the fire.
- Remove pan from heat and pour 2 tablespoons of butter into a mixing bowl or a pot. Add water (if you’re using buttermilk powder), yogurt or buttermilk, and maple syrup, and stir vigorously to combine. Beat in eggs.
- Stir in the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Add Parmesan cheese at the end, reserving a couple of tablespoons to sprinkle over top.
- Swirl the butter in the frying pan, to evenly coat the bottom, and spoon in the batter, smoothing it out with the back of the spoon.
- Cover tightly with tinfoil and place on the grill. Cook for 20 minutes, then poke a small vent in the tinfoil with the tip of a sharp knife, to let steam escape. (If you smell the bottom of the cornbread burning, move the pan off the flame for a couple of minutes.) Cook for another 10 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes.
- Remove the tinfoil quickly so any condensation on the underside doesn’t drip on the bread. Rest the bread for about 5 minutes off the flame before cutting into wedges and serving.
- Stovetop Method, At Home (pretty similar to in camp):
- Start by melting butter in a 10-inch cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons into a large bowl and whisk in buttermilk or yogurt, and maple syrup. Whisk in eggs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, except Parmesan. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and stir vigorously to combine. Add Parmesan at the end, reserving a couple of tablespoons to sprinkle over top.
- Swirl the butter in the frying pan, to evenly coat the bottom, and spoon in the batter, smoothing it out with the back of the spoon.
- Cover the pan tightly with tinfoil and cook for 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Poke a hole in the tinfoil, to allow steam to escape, and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the tinfoil quickly so any condensation on the underside doesn’t drip on the bread. Rest the bread for about 5 minutes off the flame before cutting into wedges and serving.
- Best eaten the same day it’s made.
